Makueni County assembly members elected on the Wiper Party ticket have asked Governor Kivutha Kibwana to quit the party and cease from making unnecessary threats.
During a press conference in Wote town on Friday, the ward representatives said Kibwana had the democratic right to be in a party of his choice and asked him to leave in peace.
During a public meeting at Kwakatho Agricultural Training Center on Thursday, Kibwana said he was ready to quit the position of Wiper party Chairmanship if the party leadership wants him out.
“If they said they want back the chairmanship and members of the public advise me to quit, then I am ready to do so, but it will not be an easy task to kick me out as a member,” Kibwana said.
The second term Governor accused party leader Kalonzo Musyoka of making decisions that have no value to the Kamba community, one of them being the deal struck with President Uhuru Kenyatta without involving leaders from the community.
However, the MCAs led by Majority Leader Kyalo Mumo, asked Kibwana to go back to his Muungano Party “quietly”.
“Our position remains very clear that we are fully behind Kalonzo but Kibwana is constitutionally right to choose another party if he wishes to,” Mumo said.
The Tumaini MCA said despite the wrangles, the assembly will carry on with its legislation and oversight roles to ensure the people of Makueni get the value for their taxes.
Ukia ward representatives Japeth Katumo, nominated MCAs Albunas Wambua, Mbula Mutula and Magnaline Mulwa echoed his sentiments saying the Governor should not use the dispute between him and his party boss as an excuse for development failures.
Mulwa said Kibwana had failed in his position as the party Chairman and said there was no need to keep him.
“We have released him in good faith, he is free to go back to his former Muungano Party so that we have peace because what he has been unable to bring harmony in the party,” she said.
Mulwa said Kibwana has never convened a single meeting since he assumed the position
Nominated MCA Mbula Mutula said Kibwana was a “thorn in the flesh” in the Wiper party.
“His resignation is not news to us. It’s long overdue. I dare him to withdraw his party membership as well. We can not have a chairman who does not support the ideologies of the party. We have had enough of his theatrics,” Mbula said.
Kibwana has accused Kalonzo of using a section of current and former MCAs to destabilise his government after a meeting with the leaders at his home in Yatta on Tuesday.
The MCAs rubbished the claims terming them as malicious and far fetched.
Wambua said the assembly had approved the budgets as required by law, and that it is now upon Kibwana’s administration to serve the people.
“This time around he will have no excuse at all,” he said.
Kibwana and his counterpart Alfred Mutua (Machakos) have declared interested in the presidential seat in 2022, but their critics say the two are not serious in their bid and are only eying cabinet positions in the next government.